Throughout our time in Europe, we often visit churches, not for religious purposes, but rather for the fascinating history and architecture, and as peaceful places for reflection.

Our days in the Cotswolds had come to an end, and the plan was to drive to Oxford for a few days before our flight back to Florida.

Once our plans to spend three months walking in the Cotswolds of England were finalized, we began our research about where to begin our explorations. In a word, it was marvelous. Here are the results.

Stone circles and standing stones are enigmatic places, but likely served several different needs, from places of ceremony and worship to political or astronomical purposes. In any case they remain a prehistoric mystery.

It was time to take a slightly more ambitious hike on the Cotswold Way as we had only been rambling about on shorter 4-7 mile walks. So we mapped out a route to Painswick that seemed a perfect destination for a 10+ mile, long day’s walk.

We were on a 7-mile, non-hilly walk with the Stroud Rambling Club when Geoff spotted the boar, at least that is what I thought from what he said. I quickly scanned the cliffs on opposite shore of the River Severn for what I expected would be wild pigs ...

Of course this isn’t the first time we have spent time in a small English village. Last year we developed a love for taking the public footpaths on long walks through the countryside. This alone would have been reason enough to return to England, but add to that the ability for greater social interaction because of a common language, we came back.

Cricket is a quintessential English game that, we are told, should be enjoyed on a pleasant summer’s afternoon, broken up by breaks for Earl Grey tea and cornered sandwiches ... and so we did.

Hamlets, Villages, and Towns - what is the distinction between these settlement types. It seems contextually obvious that a hamlet is smaller than a town, but it is all somewhat defined, and they are even more fun to walk through.

One of the primary reasons we came to this region of England was to walk, and we have been rambling about the countryside for many miles every day.

Summertime in the English Cotswolds has been a feast for the eyes. The golden stone buildings, rolling hills, and the green pastures, fields, and woods are visually amazing. But ...

Jeannie was especially excited to be visiting Cheltenham, as we hadn’t seen any dance in quite a long time. We didn’t really know much about the group, the venue, or the city, but we had our performance tickets, a reservation for lodgings‎, and train tickets.

Since we’ve been here, we have been walking, rambling, strolling, ambling, hiking, strolling, sauntering, trudging, plodding, dawdling; yes, we have been doing all of these things. We have also tromped, slogged, stomped, trekked, marched, glided, wandered, roamed, traipsed, and coddiwompled.

It had been a good, brief visit to Bristol, but we were eager to get to our next home, in Selsley, a village of around 175 houses, a church and one pub, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Stroud.

It was about 20 years ago when we almost moved to England because of Jeannie’s work. She had traveled there regularly over the course of a year, and the opportunity to relocate came really close, but it fell through.

Our time in Lancashire is coming to an end, and we will miss this place. The walks, the people, the beer, the sheep ... and, well OK, the weather ...

When we rented our car for the last three weeks of our time in Northern England, there were three places that we wanted to be sure to go. These were places that all the locals advised us were special. ...

In spite of the fact that we were in a small village, mostly without a car, there really was lots to do. Of course there was the walking, lots of walking ...

It was about 31 years ago when we made our first journey to England. ... we planned to visit Stonehenge ... then up through Wales on our way to the Lake District.

It was the early 1500’s, and Henry VIII was not happy. Though he had inherited a significant amount of money from his father Henry VII, he had spent a great deal of his inheritance. The religious houses were, at the time, the wealthiest institutions in England and Wales. ...

To cross a river or stream generally requires a bridge. In the past, a place to ford may have been used, but could be impractical during certain times of the year, and not very practical in most modern vehicles. ...

No orcs or hobbits, but lots of sheep and cows on a glorious day in the area that provided some of the inspiration for Tolkein's trilogy of the Lord of the Rings.

After having been without a car in a small village for three-weeks, we felt the need to go further afield. So, we went to Manchester, rented a car, and shortly after took our first road trip to York. ...

There are around 32.8 million sheep in the UK. Sheep are a part of life and a part of the landscape. ... and, of course, one must watch where one steps.

We have been admirers of British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy’s work for many years. Of all the items we kept for our post-travel life, his art books were carefully packed away for future inspiration.

The first time we encountered a felled tree with coins hammered and bent into the wood, we assumed it was a one-of-a-kind find.

For hundreds of years the country lanes, footpaths and tracks of England have been traversed by many a traveler. ...

After two years of travel, living mostly in larger cities, our goal was to find a more rural location with opportunities to be out in nature. After our search settled in northern England, we found an apartment ...